Monday, December 24, 2012

Our house is already a mess even a day before the main event, but I am enjoying every moment to its fullest. We are waist-deep in presents and macaroons and chocolate moose. The fireplace is fixed now, so we reveled in our first living room blaze in the new house last night. I am also patiently waiting for my new oven, an unexpected gift (our last one broke last week) that will arrive the day after Christmas. I hope you're enjoying some great holidaying as well. I'll try to update again when I can, but for now here's a few videos of Charlie exuding holiday cheer.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Yes, that is a pretzel ornament behind Vivi. What can I say? We kinda like food.

Christmas is right around the corner, and Genevieve couldn't be more excited about it. My mom is in town to celebrate with us, and she mercifully allowed the overjoyed child to open one of her gifts early. It was a box full of dress-up clothes, and Vivi got to work right away accessorizing herself with boas and frills. A girlier girl has never existed, nor one who is more anxious to step out on a stage somewhere. She's the yin to her wallflower sister's yang, and being a bit of a wallflower myself, it's a hoot to play the role of stage mother to one of my own flesh-and-blood offspring. What a ham!Read more >>

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

BlogHer asked me if I wanted to write about a new Proctor & Gamble eStore, and at first I wasn't sure it was my thing. I always check these offers out to make sure they actually appeal to me, and thus hopefully to you as well. And then I saw it: "free shipping on orders over $25 and a 15% discount for new members." Sign me up! I love deliveries to my door. Oh, andfree samples with every order. I live for free samples. Sold.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Forgive me for the prosaic title? I'm sure I could have come up with one better, but my head is still a bit fuzzy from a virus. Okay then, on with it...

It's a well known parenting law that kids want to eat snacks more than meals. I could never lure my kids into the house from the sandbox by saying "Kids, LUNCH TIME!," but if I offer them a snack, they're in before I finish the sentence. Is it the fact that I serve more salty and sweet goodies during snack? Whatever the reason, I'm inclined to make snack time as nutrition-packed as possible. Because I'm not above sneaking healthy foods into my kids' diet.

Monday, December 17, 2012

I'm getting excited about the holidays, mostly because I get to cook both lots of comfort food I love and new dishes I've been hanging onto until a special occasion. I'm getting back into the swing of the blogging thing, so in the spirit of the coming resolutions I'm planning to blog (and exercise!) every day of the end of the year, starting today--well, to tell the truth, exercise will commence when I shake this virus (UGH). I'll share a few recipes too, also starting today.

As indicated in my last recipe post, we are a seafood-loving family. As a kid, I would only touch canned tuna sandwiches and fish sticks, but my horizons are much broader now. I'll even dig out the cheeks and eyeballs if served a whole fresh fish. YUM. I've probably told you about Vivi's obsession with fish. The kid can be found circling her dad like a hungry cat if he breaks out a can of smoked herring. HERRING!

Sunday, December 16, 2012

I wrote this title a week ago. I had originally intended this post to be about how I understand the "Serenity NOW!" Seinfeld episode much more as an adult than I did when I first watched it as a teen. I find myself mumbling it when the kids have asked me the millionth question as I'm forcing myself out of bed in the morning. It adds an element of the ridiculous that befits the situation. But now I have a completely different topic for which it also seems applicable. I'm going to write about that one instead...

Monday, December 10, 2012

Do you browse the "books for a quarter" section of your library? I take a frequent peek because I often find interesting books I wouldn't have found any other way. That was the case when I picked up Suzanne Cary Gruvner's "The Cape Cod Cookbook," a 1977 reprint of a book originally published in 1930. If you know of my love of heirloom recipes, you can imagine my delight at finding this treasure of New England history. Others might look at such a scrappy small book and think I'm nuts, but there it is.

Sunday, December 09, 2012

Don't you love when you have friends that accept your absences without explanation? I had an unexpected departure from the blog for a while there. Rather than do the whole traditional apology/explanation business, I'm just going on as though I didn't stop calling you for a while. Sound good?

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